Tube

A new trainline proposal could see 39 major European cities linked, potentially cutting carbon emissions for travellers and slashing journey times exponentially

Say goodbye to short-haul flights. A new trainline system has been proposed that could see 39 major European holiday destinations linked for the first time, in what has been dubbed the ‘European Tube’. The proposal has been made by 21st Europe – a think-tank based in Copenhagen – and the ‘Starline’ system could revolutionise travel across the European continent, slashing carbon emissions exponentially, and offering much faster journey times than the trains currently in place.

The 39-stop system has been noted to be similar to the ‘Welsh Tube’ that has been proposed, which will see 105 miles of South Wales linked by tram-style trains. The Welsh offering has been in the works for over a decade and is reportedly set to cost a whopping £1,000,000,000 to complete.

But the designers of Starline are dreaming so much bigger than that with their Euro tube proposal, not just hoping to make travel itself easier, getting rid of the need for carbon-heavy, short-haul flights, but to create a sense of cohesion and connection across Europe itself. Something that they say is currently sorely missing with the existing infrastructure, which they say lacks a “unifying vision”.

READ MORE: UK snow: Britain facing -6C Arctic blast as SIX cities hit by fresh deep freeze forecastREAD MORE: Airbus travel chaos: 13 things you need to know after major flight disruption

The proposal could cut carbon emissions by an incredible 95 per cent, massively increasing the continent’s chances of actually reaching net zero, by providing new links in Europe all the way from Turkey, the UK, to Ukraine, with a visually striking network of deep blue trains.

For sustainably savvy travellers, the proposal is likely to be music to their ears, with there being some major drawbacks when it comes to interrailing in the current set-up. Some of these issues, the think tank points out, include “complex ticketing, inconsistent service, and outdated stations [which] make rail feel fragmented.

In 2023, a whopping eight billion people chose to opt for a high-speed train journey, but only a small fraction of these – nine per cent – saw passengers actually cross an international border, something this proposal is hoping to resolve.

Five lines have been proposed to range across the vast continent, one going from Naples to Helsinki, another from Lisbon to Kyiv, a third from Madrid to Istanbul, one from Dublin to Kyiv and, finally, a line from Milan to Oslo. Much like the London Underground, this would see passengers able to make swift changes to navigate the continent at major stations.

No detail has been too small in this proposal, which has renewable energy at its heart. From the blue trains and yellow interiors mirroring the European flag, the think tank has called it an exercise in “identity making” as much as a provision of easy-to-use, low-carbon travel.

READ MORE: Lego McLaren model that ‘looks awesome’ is £72 off but goes away forever soon

A BRIT has become the first person to fly around the world in economy class.

Dale Charman, 44, spent £1,300 to set off from London Heathrow to return just 67 hours later, having stopped at Kuala Lumpur, Sydney and Los Angeles.

The tube driver, who posts videos on YouTube on his channel ‘Dale Charman Travels’, said he had seen videos of people online doing the same challenge, but for business and first class – not economy.

So the flight enthusiast decided to be the first to fly around the globe in economy.

Dale set off from London Heathrow at 9:35pm on August 25 and then returned to the capital – after 24,000 miles of flying – on August 28 just after 5pm.

According to Dale, he was “absolutely knackered” after his journey, which included four flight.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

He said: “I knew I’d be tired, because that’s obvious.

“What I didn’t think about was I wouldn’t be laying down for the best part of three days.

“It’s amazing how much pain you get in your knees and your hips, just being in a sitting position for so long.

“My friends and family all think I’m crazy – some people think it’s cool, my mum thinks I’m absolutely crazy.”

Over the course of nearly three days flying, Dale explained how he tried to sleep as much as possible and when he wasn’t asleep he would watch films via the in-flight entertainment screens.

After spending 12 hours on a Malaysia Airlines flight from London to Kuala Lumpur, Dale had just a five-hour layover before boarding another Malaysia Airlines flight, lasting eight hours, to Sydney in Australia.

Once in Sydney, Dale had a seven-hour layover, so had enough time to make a quick visit to the Sydney Opera House.

He then returned to the airport and boarded a 13-hour Qantas flight to Los Angeles in America.

Dale added that the flight has the best “comfort food” out of all the flights, consisting of beef and mash.

Even though Dale had another seven-hour layover in Los Angeles, this time he decided to stay in the airport as it took over an hour to get through immigration.

Then, all that was left was a 12-hour Virgin Atlantic flight back to London Heathrow, landing just after 5pm on August 28.

Dale then had a couple of days of rest, before heading back to work on August 31.

Dale said: “I just think it’s a cool thing to do. Obviously the environment doesn’t particularly like it.

“I’d never flown across the Pacific.

“I’ve been to Australia and I’ve been to the US many, many times, but I’ve never done that other bit.

“I thought it was cool to cover that, and it’s just an adventure.

“You never know when you’ll wake up tomorrow, and I thought it was just a cool thing to say I’d done.

“It’s a shame I didn’t have more time to actually visit these places properly, but I always use it as an excuse – I’ll have to do it again when I’ve got more time and more money.”

SEE CLEARLY

Mechanic reveals ‘secret’ button that will defrost your windows even quicker

waltzing off

La Voix’s statement in full as injured star is forced to pull out of Strictly

In other aviation news, a budget airline has slashed flights from a major UK airport in a scramble to cut costs.

Plus, Jet2 is set to launch its first ever flights from a major UK airport with 29 new ‘sunshine’ routes.